Many different mechanisms are employed in establishing items such as foldaway ironing board assemblies which save space and offer advantages over more conventional portable ironing boards which are supported from the ground by scissor action legs. These conventional portable ironing boards are not always easy to erect and stow and they are therefore considered inconvenient. In contrast foldaway ironing board assemblies mounted to a support structure are usually more convenient than portable ironing boards. They can be easier to move from a stored position to an operative position depending on the nature of the mechanism by which they are mounted.
When in a stored position the above foldaway ironing board assemblies are located against, for example, a wall in which the longitudinal axis of the board is positioned vertically. When moved between the stored and an operative position the longitudinal axis pivots about a vertical axis and therefore the length of the ironing board protrudes out into a room. This therefore limits the type of room such foldaway ironing boards can be practically used in. Furthermore, the protruding tapered end of the ironing board is substantially unsupported and excessive pressure on this end may damage supporting struts extending from the wall to the underside of the ironing board.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,898 (Sorensen) is a wall mounted board, pivoted down from a vertical storage position to a working disposition whereat the board rests on a bracket acting against further downward angular movement.
GB 2271360 (Burke) is a similar board to that of Sorensen above, mounted inside a cabinet with a height adjustment. These styles are hinged at their end and extend outwardly perpendicularly from the wall behind them.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,388 (Simpson) provides its board on a mechanism which pivots and rotates out of its storage position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,556 (Wilson et al) provides its board with a mechanism for swivelling the board between two horizontal positions at different heights on a turntable mounting locked by a ratchet.